


Safe and Sound

by localcryptkeeper



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bathing/Washing, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions Route, Hurt, Injury, Inspired by Fanart, Light Angst, M/M, Mild Blood, Only Mild Spoilers Though, Pre-Relationship, Spoilers for Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Tenderness, bridal carry, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-11
Updated: 2019-09-11
Packaged: 2020-10-14 16:34:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20603894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/localcryptkeeper/pseuds/localcryptkeeper
Summary: Two months after the fall of Garreg Mach and the officer's academy, Dimitri returns and finds the unconscious body of his beloved professor laying amongst the rubble. Gentle washing and mild angst ensues.





	Safe and Sound

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This is my first published fic, so please comment and tell me what you think! This fic was inspired by this fanart (https://twitter.com/guessibetter/status/1163256631263662080?s=20) by guessibetter on twitter! I hope you all like it!

It had been a long few weeks for Dimitri Blaiddyd, the worst two moons in the former crown prince's life thus far save for the first few moons after the Tragedy of Duscur. The monastery had fallen, the ones who orchestrated the deaths of his family and many others were marching to conquer the entire continent, his fellow blue lions had scattered to the wind, his beloved professor had gone missing alongside the archbishop, and he had recently lost his right eye. The only thing he had left to keep him going was his loyal vassal Dedue, whose presence had kept Dimitri from slipping fully into madness. Yet still, the voices of the dead in his mind were growing louder, their demands for blood and vengeance drowning out his sanity further and further each day. He had been unable to sleep for over a week, his nightmares keeping him awake and haunting him long after he had awoken. Part of him wished he could turn back time and return to the days the academy was still intact, back to his professor, back far enough to stop Edelgard, kill her, **_wring her_ _neck, crush her skull, _**_**bleed her dry, **** A V E N G E T H E D E A D.**_

Dimitri and Dedue were silently walking through the ruins of the monastery, which had been recently abandoned by the Imperial army, in the vain hope of finding the missing archbishop or their professor. Everywhere they looked they found ruin and decay, with a few recently dead bodies yet to be moved, filling the monastery with the stench of death and turning it into a glorified graveyard. 

"Your Highness, we've been looking for an hour at least. I hate to say this, but we may not find them." Dedue broke the silence. 

"No, I cannot give up! I will not let more people die under my watch when I can still do something. I will not allow _him_ to become yet another ghost haunting me." Dimitri replied, refusing to meet his vassal's gaze, desperation in his voice. 

The two men continued to search through the rubble around the area, eventually moving to the bottom of the ravine near the monastery. Dimitri continued to search wildly for some sign of the professor, Dedue joining in the search despite his air of stoicism. They moved to a smaller pile of rubble near the base of the gorge, and after a cursory gaze they both prepared to move on to the next pile, until Dimitri caught sight of familiar green hair peeking out from under the rubble. Dimitri ran back to the pile and began digging at it furiously, with Dedue pausing for a moment before joining in. A few pieces of rock and dirt were moved aside to reveal the face of the professor, of Byleth. His eyes were closed, his face slack, and there was dried blood trickling out of his nose and matting the hair on the side of his head. Dimitri's heart caught in his throat at the sight, and he began to dig away the rubble with a madness until he could free Byleth. He gently dragged Byleth's lifeless form into his lap, and shook his shoulders in desperation. 

"Professor? Professor! Wake up, please! Open your eyes damn it!" Dimitri choked out, tears clouding his good eye and dripping onto Byleth's face. The former professor did not react in any way, remaining distressingly limp in the lap of his favorite student. Dimitri patted his cheeks, praying to the Goddess that he would wake. Still there was no reaction. Byleth's face looked so peaceful, as if he was sleeping and not likely dead. The prince held Byleth's body close to his chest and began to sob, rocking back and forth. All the while, Dedue stood to the side, observing this heartbreaking sight with a few tears silently streaming down his cheeks. Dimitri felt a light puff of air in the crook of his neck, surprising him. He pulled back slightly and put his hand in front of Byleth's mouth, and surely enough the professor was still breathing, slowly. He was not dead. Dimitri sobbed in relief and even Dedue let out a sigh, tension draining somewhat from his broad shoulders. 

"Dedue, could you please go ahead back to the monastery and give me a moment?" Dimitri requested, his voice shaking slightly and his gaze not straying from the face of the man in his lap. 

"But your Highness, it isn't-"

"Dedue, _please_. I will not be long. I will carry the professor back with me." Dimitri begged. Dedue sighed. 

"Very well, your Highness. Please, be careful." With that, the vassal turned around and began to slowly make his way back towards the monastery. 

Dimitri looked at the retreating back of his vassal before returning his gaze to the professor, and stared at the gentle rising of his chest. Byleth still lived, somehow. He had not become yet another ghost to torment Dimitri. Yet. Dimitri knew he had to get his professor to a safe place, but looking at the blood covering his face and upper body, Dimitri felt a twinge in his heart. Before he could think, he tore off a small piece of his blue sash, as he was still in his school uniform from being on the run. He set Byleth gently on the ground, and went to the nearby river a few feet away to wet the cloth in his hand. He turned back to the sleeping man and gathered him into his arms yet again. Dimitri gently began to wipe the blood and dirt from his professor's face and hair, tenderness stirring in his darkened heart. He removed his professor's overcoat and tunic to reveal his chest, blushing slightly. There was more blood there, and the prince set about cleaning it off the best he could before redressing Byleth. He briefly thought of checking his legs for blood as well, but decided against it, embarrassed at the idea of removing his professor's pants. After a moment of continuing to hold the other man in his lap, Dimitri gathered him into his arms and stood up, one arm underneath his knees and the other wrapped around his back. Byleth's head lolled against Dimitri's shoulder, briefly reminding him of when he had to carry Byleth back to the monastery after the professor had collapsed from his transformation. He continued forward, carrying the other man easily, as if he weighed nothing. Dimitri caught up with Dedue fairly soon, and they walked back to the monastery in silence. 

"What do you intend on doing with him?" Dedue asked as they passed through the gates. 

"I'll bring him to the archbishop's room. Few people know where it is located here, he should be safe there while we figure out what to do next" 

They walk up the stairs together to the third floor and enter the archbishop's bedroom, which looked untouched. Dimitri walked to the giant bed in the center of the room and gently laid Byleth down upon its center. He grabbed a pillow from the top of the bed and gently lifted Byleth's head to slip it underneath. Laying there peacefully, his face clean from blood and his mint green hair splayed on the pillow, Byleth almost resembled the sleeping princess from the fairy tales of Dimitri's childhood. His sleeping professor. Dedue stood at the windows, keeping an eye out for trouble. Suddenly Dedue whipped around. 

"Your Highness, we must leave this room at once! I see Imperial soldiers in the courtyard." Dedue insisted. 

"But we can't just leave him here!" Dimitri turned around, gesturing at the sleeping man beside him. 

"We can return after we take care of them, we need to move!" Dedue stated. Dimitri sighed. He turned back to Byleth and leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. 

"We'll be back for you, professor. I swear it." He whispered against his skin, before straightening out and rushing out of the room with Dedue. 

He would not be back for 5 years. 


End file.
